The Department of Economics

Faculty Profile

Michael Nelson Professor and Chair Ph.D. Purdue University, 1980 Fields: Public Sector, Economic Development

• "Assessing an Economics Program: Hansen Proficiencies, ePortfolio and Undergraduate Research" (with Steve Myers and Richard Stratton), International Review of Economics Education, (accepted for publication December 2008).
• "E-portfolios and Student Research in the Assessment of a Proficiency-based Major" (with Steve Myers and Richard Stratton), in Principles and Profiles of Good Practices in Assessment by Trudy Banta, forthcoming, Jossey-Bass.
• "Global Efforts to Combat Smoking: An Economic Evaluation of Smoking Control Policies", Hampshire, England: Ashgate, 2008. [with Rajeev K. Goel]
• “Are Corrupt Acts Contagious? Evidence from the United States,” Journal of Policy Modeling, Vol. 29, pp. 839-850, 2007. [with Rajeev K. Goel]
• “The Master Settlement Agreement and Cigarette Tax Policy,” Journal of Policy Modeling, Vol. 29, Issue 3, pp. 431-438, 2007. [with Rajeev K. Goel]
• “Demand Elasticities for Internet Services,” Applied Economics, Vol. 38, No. 9, pp. 975-980, 2006 [with Rajeev K. Goel, Edward T. Hsieh, and Rati Ram]
• “The Effectiveness of Anti-Smoking Legislation: A Review,“ Journal of Economic Surveys, Vol.20, No.3, pp.325-355, 2006 [with Rajeev K. Goel]
• “Smoking Prevalence and Anti-Smoking Regulations in Transition Countries,“ Transition Studies Review, Vol.13, No.3, pp.231-248, 2006 [with Jelena Budak and Rajeev K. Goel]
• "Economic Freedom versus Political Freedom: Cross-Country Influences on Corruption," Australian Economic Papers, Vol.44, pp. 121-133, 2005, [with Rajeev K. Goel]
• "Tobacco Policy and Tobacco Use: Differences Across Tobacco Types, Gender and Age," Applied Economics,Vol. 10, pp. 765-771, 2005 [with Rajeev K. Goel]
• "International Patterns of Cigarette Smoking and Global Anti-Smoking Policies, with M. Nelson," Journal of Economics and Finance,Vol. 28, pp. 382-394, 2004 [with Rajeev K. Goel]
• "Use or Abuse of Highway Tax Revenues? An Economic Analysis of Highway Spending," Applied Economics Letters, Vol. 10, pp. 813-819, 2003. [with R. K. Goel}.
• “Using Excise Taxes to Finance State Government: Do Neighboring State Tax Policy and Cross-border Markets Matter?," Journal of Regional Science, Vol. 42, pp. 731-752, 2002.
• "Electoral Cycles and the Politics of State Tax Policy," Public Finance Review, Vol. 28, pp. 540-560, 2000.
• "Corruption and Government Size: A Disaggregated Analysis," Public Choice, Vol. 97, No. 1/2, pp. 107-120, 1998. [with Rajeev K. Goel]
• "Democracy, Political Freedom, Fiscal Policy, and Growth in LDCs: A Fresh Look," Economic Development and Cultural Change, Vol. 46, No. 4, pp. 677-96, 1998. [with Ram D. Singh].
• "Municipal Government Approaches to Service Delivery," Economic Inquiry, Vol. 35, No.1, pp. 82-96, 1997.
• "An IRS Production Function," National Tax Journal, Vol. XLIX, No. 1, pp. 105-116, 1996. [with William J. Hunter]
• "The Deficit - Growth Connection: Some Recent Evidence from Developing Countries," Economic Development and Cultural Change, Vol. 43, No. 1, pp. 167-191, 1994. [with Ram D. Singh]
• "Municipal Boundary Reform and the Growth of the Public Sector in Sweden," Journal of Regional Science, Vol. 32, No. 1, pp. 39-53, 1992.
• "Interest Group Demand for Taxation," Public Choice, Vol. 62, pp. 41-61, 1989. [with William J. Hunter]
• "Public Policy, Local Labor Demand, and Migration in Sweden, 1979-84," Journal of Regional Science, 29, pp. 247-264, 1989. [with Michael L. Wyzan
• "Searching for Leviathan: Comment and Extension," American Economic Review, Vol. 77, pp. 198-204, 1987.
• "An Empirical Analysis of State and Local Tax Structure in the Context of the Leviathan Model of Government," Public Choice, Vol. 49, pp. 283-94, 1986.